


Little More Zest, A

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-01-15
Updated: 2004-01-15
Packaged: 2019-05-30 21:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15104924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Fact-checking errors. Sequel to "A Little Zest"





	Little More Zest, A

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**A Little More Zest**

**by:** Rhonda Dossett

**Character(s):** CJ/Danny  
**Pairing(s):** CJ/Danny  
**Category(s):** Post-Ep  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine and never will be.  
**Summary:** Fact-checking errors.  
**Spoiler:** Minor through "The Long Goodbye"  
**Author's Note:** Sequel to "A Little Zest" 

"Is he in?"  Toby rocked back on his heels and waited for Margaret to acknowledge his presence.

When she continued typing without responding, he tried again, a little louder.  "Margaret?  Is Leo in?"

Without turning her head, she said, "Yes, he's in."

Toby waited a beat and then added, "Can I see him?"

"No."  Margaret continued typing.

"It's important," he said, beginning to get annoyed.  "When can I have a few minutes with him?"

Margaret hit the print key and the printer started up.  Finally, she turned her head and glared at him.  "I'll check his schedule and make an appointment for you."

Flinching from the ice water dripping from her tone, Toby took a step back.  "Did I do something to offend you?"

"Not me," she cryptically responded, getting to her feet, picking up the newly printed document, and leaving the room without another word.

Toby glanced at Leo's closed door and calculated the odds of barging into a meeting versus waiting until Margaret got over whatever imaginary slight she perceived him to have made.

Sighing, he turned and walked back to his office.  It wasn't even 7:00 am and his day had already turned to shit.

"Carol?  Come in here, please."  A surprised CJ stood in the middle of her office with her black wool coat hanging half way down her arms.  "Carol?"

"Yes?"  Carol stood in the office doorway with a grim expression on her face.

"What's with all the photographs?"

"They were here when I got in today," Carol responded.  What she didn't say was that she and Margaret had spent several hours the night before making the copies at a do-it-yourself photo copier at a 24-hour Supercenter.

CJ did a slow spin staring at the dozens of photographs of Toby and Andi.  Toby and Andi's wedding photograph. Toby and Andi dancing at one of the first inaugural balls.  Toby and Andi at the debate camp in North Carolina.  Toby and Andi sitting on a blanket out on the Mall.   Toby and Andi asleep next to each other on Air Force One.  Toby and Andi in his office looking at baby clothes.  Some of the photographs CJ had seen before, others were ones from before the Bartlet campaign.  In the center of her desk was a copy of the ultrasound photograph that Toby had been carrying around for weeks. 

CJ picked up the ultrasound photograph and stared at it.  "What the hell?  Why would someone give me photographs of Toby and Andi?  And their twins?"

"Beats me," Carol answered, her face expressionless.  "Do you want your messages now?"

CJ turned around and faced her assistant. "I think I just got one.  The thing is I don't know what it means."

Carol opened her mouth to reply but was forestalled by a hand on her shoulder.

"I see the Kodak fairy visited your office too."  Toby had walked up behind Carol, startling her. 

CJ waved the ultrasound photograph at him.  "Same photographs?"

Toby entered the office and took a quick survey of the scattered photographs taped to the bookcases, walls, and the one that was hanging from Gail's bowl.

"Yep."

"What's going on?"

"I have no idea.  I thought maybe it was Andi's way of telling me that she'd decided to accept my proposal after all.  But I hardly think she'd paper your office with photos too."

While they were speaking, neither noticed that Carol had silently slipped from the room.

"They're not acting guilty."  Carol held the telephone receiver between the side of her head and her shoulder, as she continued to pull faxes off the machine.

"That makes it even worse," Margaret replied, talking on her cell phone as she stood in line at the dry cleaners, waiting to pick up Leo's suits.  "I think it's despicable that they would be having an affair when his ex-wife is pregnant with twins.  Even worse that they would be carrying on in the ladies locker room.  I know it's not my place but I've got a half-a-mind to talk to Ginger."

"I don't think telling anyone else will solve anything.  Look, I've got to get these faxes to CJ.  We'll talk at lunch."

"Okay.  Bye."

Margaret proceeded to the counter and gave the clerk Leo's ticket.  She never noticed the pregnant woman, who had been in the line behind her, leave the store without reclaiming her clothes.  

"Have you seen Toby recently?"

"Congresswoman Wyatt, how are you?"  Will Bailey stood up and walked around his desk, holding out his hand.  "You may not remember me but . . ."

"Of course I remember you.  Will Bailey, isn't it?"  Andrea Wyatt shook the younger man's hand.

"Thank God, someone around here knows my name," Will dryly responded.

Smiling at his comment, Andi said, "I was looking for Toby."

"He and Ginger went to lunch.  Something about forgetting her birthday last week."

The smile disappeared from the Congresswoman's face.  "I see.  Well, tell him I dropped by will you?  Ask him to give me a call if he's not too busy?"

"Sure.  Uh, if you wanted to wait, he probably won't be gone too much longer.  They've already  
been gone longer than I expected."  Will couldn't help but notice that his words seem to make her very angry.  "I'm sorry did I . . ."

"I have no intention of waiting for him to come back from his . . .  whatever.  He's seems to have given up on waiting for me.  There's certainly no need for me to acquire the habit."

"Huh?"

"Never mind.  In fact don't even bother to tell Toby that I was here.  I'm sure he's way too busy to bother with me and his children."  

Before Will could respond, Andrea Wyatt flounced out of his office.

"Oh, boy," Will mumbled to himself, as he sat back down and tried to regain his train of thought.  "Glad I'm not in Toby's shoes."

"Have you seen CJ recently?"

"What am I 'Information Central'?"  Will angrily tore a page out of his notebook and tossed it in the trash can.  

"Problems?"  A grinning Danny Concannon walked into Will's office, carrying a long gold box, tied with a ribbon.

"Plenty.  But, I suppose they're not your fault.  Sorry.  I just . . . uh, CJ's speaking at a women's shelter fundraiser in Virginia.  She won't be back until just before the five o'clock briefing."

"Oh.  I wanted to give her these."  Danny tapped the box in his hands.  "I guess I'll just leave them with Carol or on her desk.  Do you know how long roses will last in these boxes?  I'd hate to have spent a hundred bucks only for her to find some brown stems and a few shriveled petals."

Will bit back another reply concerning why people expected him to have instant knowledge of all kinds of trivia.  Must be something to do with the office and its former occupant.  Sighing, he mumbled, "They put the stems in little glass things with water in them.  They'll be okay until she comes back."

"Thanks, Bill.  I owe you one."  Danny turned and walked out.

"It's Will.  Will Bailey," the speechwriter yelled after him.  

"Hey, Ginger."  Danny Concannon leaned half on - half off the secretary's desk.

"Hi, Danny.  CJ's not here."  

"I know.  I wanted to leave these flowers for her, but her office is locked and Carol is missing in action.  Can you help me out?  I've got to get down to the Post and back before the last briefing."

"Sure, leave them here with me and I'll make sure she gets them."

"Thanks."  He set the box on the edge of her crowded desk.

"It's good to see you around here again."  Ginger gathered up a handful of files and walked over to the filing cabinet near the bullpen entrance. 

Danny gave her arm a friendly squeeze.  "It's good to be back.  Tell CJ not to make dinner plans."

Ginger grinned.  Things were always more interesting when Danny was in the West Wing.

"Did someone else forget your birthday?"  Toby asked, standing by Ginger's desk.  When she looked up from her typing in confusion, he pointed towards the long gold box.  

"Darn.  I was supposed to give those to CJ."

"I'll take them to her.  I have to give her some briefing notes anyway."

"Thanks.  They're from Danny and he said to tell her not to make dinner plans."

"Concannon?  Hell.  Give them to me," Toby grumbled, frowning.  "I guess I should have expected that he would start up again."

"You'll give her the message, won't you?"  Ginger wasn't sure judging from the expression on his face.

"Yes.  I won't stand in the way of *true* love."

Toby shuffled off down the hall with the box under his arm, muttering to himself about conflicts of interest and dead fish.

"Impending fatherhood is softening him up," Ginger mused, going back to her research. 

"Are those for Ginger?"  Andrea Wyatt materialized right in front of him as he rounded the corner on his way towards CJ's office.

"Damn, Andi."  Toby jumped back in fright.  "What are you doing lurking in the hall?"

"Lurking?  Is that any way to talk to the woman who's carrying your children?"

"Sorry.  Bad choice of words.  How about loitering?"

Andi raised her eyebrows and frowned at him.

"No.  Okay.  Let's try this again.  Hello, Andi.  How are you?"

"You didn't answer my question.  Are those flowers for Ginger?  I heard you took her to lunch for her birthday."

"No and yes."

"Toby, I'm not in the mood to . . ."

"Why are you in a mood with me at all?  This whole day women have been jumping down my throat for no discernable reason."

"Maybe they don't like the idea of you having an affair, especially with someone you work with."

"Why would anyone care?  It's nobody's business but ours."

"So that's how you tell me?  When did this happen?  I thought you wanted to get married again."

"I did.  I do.  How did you want me to tell you?"

"Just forget it.  I'll let you know when the babies are born.  Until then, stop calling me."

"Andi?"  Toby turned in puzzlement watching his ex-wife stomp off.  Rubbing the back of his head, he considered how long before he could call this day done and go home to a ball game on the television and a bottle of Scotch.

"Toby.  Leo can see you now."  Margaret spoke from a position right behind him and his heart almost jumped out of his chest.  "Damn, I wish people would stop doing that."

"There's no need to use that kind of language in my presence.  You wanted an appointment with Leo.  You've got one in five minutes."

"Sorry.  Look, just let me give these flowers to CJ and I'll be right with you."

"Certainly," Margaret hissed through clenched teeth.  "By all means give *CJ* flowers."

"Did you like the flowers?"  Danny asked, holding the cell phone against his ear and checking that no one else was in the Press Room.

"So they really were from you?"  CJ was sitting in her office chair, her feet propped up on her desk.

"Who'd you think they were from?"

CJ lowered her voice.  "Well it's a long story.  For a while there I thought they might be from Toby.  I think he's been trying to make me jealous of him and Andi."

Danny grinned, wishing he could see her face.  "Toby?"

"Yeah.  I thought it was weird too, but he taped pictures of him and Andi all over my office and then pretended not to know where they came from.  I think he's making some kind of move on me."

The reporter shook his head, stifling a laugh.   Clearing his throat, he tried for a serious response. "Maybe I should talk to him.  Let him know that you're involved with me."

CJ smirked, she could tell by his voice that he wasn't taking her seriously.  "Oh, he knows.  I'm just not sure he sees you as much competition."

"Then I'll definitely have a talk with him - man to man.  Show him mine is bigger than his.  Do a little scratching and spitting.  Guy stuff."

As she broke into laughter, he added, "Anyway,  I need to give him back his cap."

"How did you acquire his prized ball cap?"

"Bill gave it to me, accidentally, on purpose."

"It's not Bill, it's Ted."  CJ dropped her feet to the floor and swung her chair around to look out her window into the Washington D.C. night.

"Whatever.  Do you want to take another shower together?"

CJ blushed, memories of their activities in the locker room filling her mind.  "Tonight?  Here?"

"Yeah.  I kind of like living dangerously.  I'll order a pizza for us to eat later."

"Make sure you bring some dry clothes to change into.  I sent the Santa suit back to the costume shop."

"Yeah.  I wondered if you'd get questions about a barefoot Santa haunting the West Wing halls after midnight, leaving wet footprints in the carpet."

CJ smiled.  "Believe me, running around in a Santa suit is not nearly strange enough to get you noticed around here."

"What do you think?"  Donna stood in front of Josh's desk holding the new black leather backpack out in front of her.

"Doesn't really look like something you'd carry, but hey, whatever makes you happy."  Josh smirked at her, knowing exactly who the backpack was for.

"It's not mine, it's yours."

"Don-na.  We've had this discussion a hundred times.  I like the bag I have.  I've carried it since college."

"Yeah, anyone can see that.  It's falling apart.  I'm not taking it to be re-stitched again.  The last time the repair guy laughed at me; he offered to buy me a new one himself.  It was embarrassing.  You're using this new one.   By the way, you paid $300.00 for it."

Donna tossed the bag on his desk and walked back to her own.

Josh shouted after her.  "Donna, take it back.  I'm not going to use it."

"We'll see about that."  

"Don-na.  Keep the receipt.  You're gonna need it."

Donna ignored him, slipping on her coat and gathering up her briefcase.  Pulling a large paper sack out from her desk, she headed for the exit.

"Hey, Donna."  Danny passed her, carrying a couple of paper sacks of his own.

"Hi, Danny."

"Been shopping, too?"

"Nope.  This is just trash.  I'm looking for a large trash can to stuff it in, then I'm headed home for a hot shower and a date with John Carter."

"ER rerun?"

"Yeah."

"Here, give it to me.  I'll toss it in the Press Room trash can.  We've got a big one next to the fax machine."

"Thanks."  She handed over the paper sack.  "It's good to see you back here.  I've missed your smiling face."

"I'm enjoying being back.  Have a good night."

"Okay.  You can come in.  The coast's clear."  CJ held open the women's locker room door and Danny slipped inside.

"I've got dry clothes and some of that bath gel you said you like.  I don't want to have to chase down anymore flying bars of soap."

"Is that what's in the backpack?  By the way, isn't that . . . that looks like Josh's bag."

"Yeah.  I thought it looked familiar.  Donna was throwing it away and I decided to recycle it.  It needs a little tape on the corner, but other than that, it's a perfectly good bag."

"It's hideous."

"Don't worry.  I'll probably have to give it back to Josh.  I have a feeling that Donna appropriated it without his permission."

"You're acquiring a lot of 'hot' property lately.  What's the deal?"

"Right place, right time."  Danny grinned at her. "Can we leave this topic for later?  Right now I really wanna relive the best sixty minutes of my life."

"I don't think it was sixty minutes."

"Well," he responded, tossing his purloined bag on the padded bench and starting to undo her shirt buttons.  "It might have been longer, but I don't like to brag."

The warm water sprayed over them as they made love in the shower stall.

"Wait a minute.  I need to just . . . oh, yeah.  That's better."  CJ gripped the shower head with one hand as Danny pulled one of her long legs off the tile floor, hooking it around his hips.

"Ready?" he gasped, positioning himself for a second attempt.

"Yes."  She wrapped her free arm around his shoulders as he pushed deep inside her.  

Danny's mouth trailed down her throat to her breasts.  As he licked and nipped at the pink tips, she whimpered with pleasure.

"We should have done this a long time ago," she announced, her voice a little louder than she'd planned as he suddenly increased the frequency of his powerful thrusts.

He growled in response, words beyond him at the moment.

Neither noticed the sound of the locker room door opening or the female voices around the corner.

"I should probably just go home tonight."  The tall redhead opened her locker and pulled out a pair of black jeans and a low-cut green sweater.

"Oh, come on, Margaret.  We didn't get to a single club last night.  We had to spend all our time copying photographs.  Tonight, I want to go dancing and not worry about how Toby is cheating on Andi."  Carol kicked off her heels, started to unzip her wool skirt, then paused as she noticed something out of place.  "Margaret?"  

Margaret pulled the sweater over her head and tugged it into place, thinking that it might have shrunk a little the last time she washed it.  Either that or the calorie count was back up in the muffins sold in the Mess. "Yeah. Okay, we'll try that place . . ."  

"No.  Look!"  Carol pointed at a familiar backpack resting on an adjacent bench.

"What in the world?"  Margaret walked over to the bag and was about to pick it up when she heard CJ moan and realized that the water was running in one of the showers.

"Harder, please.  Don't stop. "

Carol and Margaret stood still, shock covering their faces as they listened to a giggle, a masculine whisper, and then CJ gasping, "Okay.  I'll say it.  You're 'Da Man'." 


End file.
